NCAA Begins Final Four Bid Process For 2017-2020

The NCAA’s process to determine where the 2017-2020 Final Fours will be held officially began today, with emphasis that all games will be held at large stadiums in big cities.

According to a press release from the NCAA, the locations of those Final Fours will be reviewed by a committee and announced in November 2014. This year’s Final Four will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 2015 tournament will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the 2016 tournament at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

All three locations house NFL teams, and all hold at least 67,000 people. The Final Four has been held at NFL or college football stadiums every year since 1999, when it was held at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

When evaluating prospective hosts, the committee will review each city’s competition venue, transportation and lodging, and the region’s overall commitment to the event. Venues must hold a minimum of 60,000 fans, and host cities or regions must be able to provide at least 10,000 full-service hotel rooms within reasonable proximity to the competition venue.

Unfortunately, the criteria means basketball venues like Madison Square Garden and Staples Center can’t house the event. Maybe we’ll see a Final Four at MetLife Stadium in the future?